Paste dispenser for collapsible tubes



April 9, 1963 M. w. KLINGERMAN PASTE DISPENSER FOR COLLAPSIBLE' TUBES 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed March 17, 1961 A ril 9, 1963 M. w. KLINGERMAN 3,084,722

PASTE DISPENSER FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Filed March 17, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

MILO I'V- K/IVGE'EMA/V United States Patent 3,084,722 PASTE DISPENSER FUR CQLLAPSIBLE TUBES Milo W. Klingerman, 10424 Keller Ave, Arlington, Calif. Filed Mar. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 96,538 6 Claims. (Cl. 141362) This invention relates to a novel and improved paste dispenser for collapsible tubes.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a simpler, more practical, and more eificient dispenser of the kind indicated which involves a pair of spring-pressed pressure plates adapted to engage opposed sides of a collapsible tube with equal and uniform squeezing pressure, the pressure plates being convergent toward the closed or sealed end of a collapsible tube, and divergent toward the neck-equipped end of the tube, whereby the paste in the tube is under constant pressure, and whereby as discharge of paste from the tube progresses, the tube is progressively collapsed, from its sealed end toward its neck-equipped end, so that paste is discharged from the neck, at a substantially uniform rate, and the tube is more completely emptied of paste through the neck before the tube is required to be replaced in the dispenser.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a dispenser of the character indicated above, wherein the pressure plates and their operating springs are enclosed in a protective casing, adapted to be mounted on a support, and manual means is provided on the casing for spreading the pressure plates, against the resistance of their springs, to accept a between.

A further object of the invention is the provision, in a dispenser of the character indicated above, of novel and improved toothbrush operated, spring rotated valving means for a port of the casing, into which the uncapped neck of a collapsible tube is adapted to be seated, for producing, controlling, and stopping dispensing of paste on a toothbrush.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of'illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of a dispenser of the present invention, showing the same mounted vertically on a support;

[FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical transverse section taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1, and showing a collapsible tube in place in the dispenser, and the plate spreading means in released position and in applied position, and showing, in phantom lines, application of a toothbrush to the valving means;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical transversesection taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2, a part of a pressure plate being broken away;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 3, showing, in phantom lines, application of a toothbrush to components of the valving means;

FIGURE 5 is a further enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3, and show ing a tooth brush applied to components of the valving means; and,

FIGURE 6 is a bottom plan view taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated device comprises an elongated hollow casing 10, herein shown as being rectangular, but adapted to have other shapes and cross sections. The illustrated casfresh collapsible tube thereice ing 16 comprises a back wall'12, a front wall 14, side walls 16 and 18, a top wall 20, and an open lower end 22, The back wall 12 can be extended beyond the top wall 20 and be provided with holes 24 to accept screws 26 for mounting the device to a support, such as a vertical wall 28.

The open lower end 22 of the casing 10 is provided with a removable cover 30, which is herein illustrated as being a snap-in plate 32 having on opposed ends thereof transverse ribs 34 and 36, adapted to securably engage in transverse grooves 38 and 40, formed in the facing surfaces of the back and front walls 12 and 14, respectively, at their lower ends. The cover 30 is provided with a central discharge port which is constituted by a vertical bore 42 extending downwardly through a pendant dispensing nipple 44, extending downwardly from the cover, the bore 42 having, at its upper end, an enlarged diameter threaded socket 46, into which the neck 48 of a collapsible tube T is adapted to be screwed. This arrangement provides accurate positioning of and adequate support of a collapsible tube T, spacedly within the casing 10.

A pair of opposed, similar, constant pressure plates 50 is provided, which are rigid and of substantially the same length and width, the plates 50 being fiat and straight. The plates 50 are preferably slightly shorter than the overall length of and slightly wider than the tube T. Collapsible tube T, such as a tooth paste tube have relatively fiat opposed sides 52, which converge toward the closed or sealed end 54 thereof, and flare toward the enlarged diameter conical end 56, from the center of which the discharge neck 48 extends. Accordingly, the pressure plates when applied to the flat sides 52 of a tube T inserted therebetween, as shown in FIGURE 2, diverge downwardly, and initially conform to the flare of the tube sides 52, under the pressure of expanding spring means compressed between the 'back and front Walls of the casing and the pressure plates. 1

Suitable expanding spring means comprises opposed pairs of upper and lower coil springs 58 and 60, respectively, which are positioned close to the upper and lower ends of the plates 56, and are secured, in suitable manner, to the plates 50 and to the front and back casing walls. The upper and lower springs 58 and '60 are preferably of substantially the same size and strength, but because of the greater compression of the lower springs 60, due to the downward divergence of the pressure plates 56, as shown in FIGURE 2, the lower springs 60 exert more pressure upon the paste within the tube T, than do the upper springs 58. However, the compressive pressure of the upper springs 58 supplements the compressive pressure of the lower springs so that the resultant voverall compressive pressure is distributed by the rigid plates 50 lengthwise of the tube T, in a manner to urge the paste within the tube T, downwardly toward and through its discharge neck 48, at constant pressure.

In order to facilitate insertion of a tube T between the pressure plates 50, with the cover 30 removed, spreading means is provided, which can have the form of transverse horizontal rotary stub shafts 62 and 63 which are journalled centrally in the casing side walls 16 and 18 and carry spreader cross arms 64 and 65, respectively, and positioned between the plates 50 at their edges. A U-shaped stop yoke 66 has its legs 63 and 69 positioned at and out of contact with the side edges of the plates 50 and fixed to the stub shafts 6-2 and 63, and its bight portion 72 disposed at the outer side of one of the plates 50'. The bight portion 72 is positioned, at an angle of about 45 to the plate 64, to engage the outer side ofa plate 5'0, when the shaft 62 is rotated in either direction, in a manner to prevent the shafts 62 and 63, and hence the spreader arms 64 and 65, from being rotated more than about ninety degrees, in either direction, as indicated in smegma 3 FIGURE 2, by means of an external handle 74 fixed, preferably outside of the right-hand casing side wall 18. This stop arrangement conduces to quick and accurate operation of the spreading means, by preventing the spreader plates 64 and 65 from over-running their contacts with the inner surfaces of the pressure plates as. In operation, the shafts 62 and 63 are rotated, by means of the handle 74, so as to rotate the spreader arms 64 and 65 from an inoperative position, extending along the plates, to an operative position crosswise of the plates 50, wherein the ends 76 of the arms make cam engagements with the plates and spread them apart, against the resistance of the springs 53 and so, to easily accept a collapsible tube therebetween. Insertion of a collapsible tube in the device involves threading its neck 48 into the socket 46 in the cover 3%", entering the tube between the spread plates 54 and snapping the cover 3t} into the lower end 22 of the casing 10.

Mounted on the underside of the cover 30 and associated with the dispensing nipple 44, is a valving assembly, generally designated 78, which is adapted to be actuated by a toothbrush B having an elongated body 80' having upstanding bristles S2, at its forward end 84. The assembly 78 comprises a circular pan-shaped rotor 86 having a flat bottom wall 88 and an upstanding peripheral side wall 90. A central vertical tubular boss 92 risesfrom the bottom wall 83 and receives the lower part of a vertical pin 94 having an enlarged head 95, on its lower end, which bears against the underside of the bottom wall 88. The pin 94 extends upwardly through a bore 98 in the cover plate 32, at one side of and radially spaced from the nipple 4d, and a head 101) is removably secured on the upper end of the pin 94, and compresses a helical spring 102 between itself and the upper surface of the cover 30, whereby the rotor 86 is tensioned upwardly for preserving a close sliding engagement between the upper surface of the rotor bottom wall 88 and the lower end of the nipple 4 1-, as shown in FIGURE 5. The bottom wall 88 is formed with a concentric arcuate dispensing slot 164 which is adapted to be registered, at times with the nipple 44 for dispensing paste onto the bristles 82 of the toothbrush B.

The rotor 86 is normally rotated to a position wherein the dispensing slot 1114 is out of registry with the nipple 44, wherein the nipple is closed by the rotor bottom wall 88, by means of a spiral spring 106 which surrounds the boss 92 and is suitably secured at one end, to a pendant lug 108 on the cover 39, and at its other end, to the rotor side wall 90.

The rotor side wall 90' is provided with a short circumferential detent slot 110, into which a detent hook 112 of a releasable locking assembly is normally releasably engaged, for holding the rotor 36 in a position wherein the slot 104 is out of registry with the nipple 44 and the spring 106 is under some tension. The hook 112 is fixed to and extends laterally from a tubular standard 114 which is journalled on a vertical pin 116 whose upper end is fixed, as indicated at 118, in an eccentric pendant lug 120 on the cover 30. A wing 122 is fixed on and extends laterally and downwardly from the standard 114, and a positioning spring 124 is coiled around the standard 114 and has an upper arm 126 secured to the lug 12d, and a lower arm 128 engaged with the side of the wing 122 remote from the hook 112 which extends laterall from the other side of the wing, as shown in FIGURES and 6, and urges the hook toward engagement in the detent slot 110. At the opposite side of the rotor 85 from the locking assembly, in the normal position of the rotor 86, a stop shoe 130 is fixed to and extends downwardly from the rotor bottom wall 88. The shoe 131} has a fiat surface 132, located substantially on a diameter of the rotor 86, at tire remote end of which is located a stop shoulder 134 which projects laterally from the surface 132.

In operation, a toothbrush B is placed beneath the rotor 86 with its bristles extending upwardly, with its for-ward end $4 of its body 30 engaged with the shoulder 134 and a related side thereof engaged with the shoe surface 132, and with its opposite side engaged with the wing 122 of the locking assembly, the toothbrush then being pushed forwardly against the shoulder 134-, at the same time that it is moved laterally, against the wing 122, so that the hook 112 is disengaged from the slot and the rotor 8d is rotated, against the resistance of the spring 106-, so as to register the dispensing slot 104- with the nipple 44, as shown in phantom lines in FIGURE 6, and elfect a discharge of paste through the nipple -44 and the slot 104, onto the toothbrush bristles 82.

The amount of paste dispensed onto the toothbrush is controlled and determined by the amount that the rotor 86 is rotated out of its normal or starting position, by a toothbrush, in the manner outlined above, since upon dis engagement of the toothbrush from the shoe the direction of rotation of the rotor 86' is immediately reversed by the spring 106, and the dispensing of paste through the slot 1% is proportional to the length of the slot 164 extending beyond the nipple 44-, as the rotor is freed to be returned to its starting position by the spring 106. As the rotor 86 is returned to its starting position, the detent hook 112 re-enters the detent slot 110 and locks the rotor 86 against vagrant rotation and with its bottom wall 83 in closure relation to the lower end of the nipple 4 Although there has been shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A paste dispenser for a collapsible tube, comprising: a casing having an open end and surrounding walls, a cover plate removably engaged in said open end, said cover plate having a tube neck receiving discharge port extending therethrough, a pair of opposed pressure plates for engaging opposite sides of a tube inserted therebetween with its neck engaged in said port, and tube compressing spring means comprising springs compressed between the pressure plates and adjacent portions of the surrounding walls, said spring means serving as the sole support of the pressure plates on the walls, and pressure plate spreading means mounted on portions of the surrounding walls, said spreading means comprising spreader arms positioned between the pressure plates having ends engageable with the facing surfaces of the pressure plates, and means for rotating the spreader arms for camming the pressure plates away from each other against the resistance of said spring means.

2. A paste dispenser for a collapsible tube, comprising: a casing having an open end and surrounding walls, a cover plate removably engaged in said open end, said cover plate having a tube neck receiving discharge port extending therethrough, and valving means mounted on said cover plate for opening and closing said port, said port comprising a nipple extending laterally from the cover plate and a bore extending through the nipple and the cover plate and having a threaded socket to receive and threadably connect a tube neck to the cover plate, said valving means comprising a pan-shaped rotor located at the outer side of and axially journalled on the cover plate on an axis at one side of said nipple, said rotor having a bottom wall slidably engaged with the outer end of the nipple, said bottom wall having an arcuate dispensing slot registrable at times with the nipple for dispensing paste from the dispenser, and means for turning the rotor from a starting position in which its bottom wall closes the outer end of the nipple and a finishing position in which said dispensing slot is registered with the nipple.

aoeanaa 3. A paste dispenser for a collapsible tube, comprising: a casing having an open end and surrounding walls, a cover plate removably engaged in said open end, said cover plate having a tube neck receiving discharge port extending therethrough, and valving means mounted on said cover plate for opening and closing said port, said port comprising a nipple extending laterally from the cover plate and a bore extending through the nipple and the cover plate and having a threaded socket to receive and threadably connect a tube neck to the cover plate, said valving means comprising a pan-shaped rotor located at the outer side of and axially journalled on the cover plate on an axis at one side of said nipple, said rotor having a bottom wall slidably engaged with the outer end of the nipple, said bottom wall having an arcuate dispensing slot registrable at times with the nipple for dispensing paste from .the dispenser, and means for turning the rotor from a starting position in which its bottom wall closes the outer end of the nipple and a finishing position in which said dispensing slot is registered with the nipple, and return spring means for rotating said rotor from a finishing position to its starting position and for resisting rotation of the rotor from its starting position to a finishing position.

4. A paste dispenser for a collapsible tube, comprising: a casing having an open end and surrounding walls, a cover plate removably engaged in said open end, said cover plate having a tube neck receiving discharge port extending therethrough, and valving means mounted on said cover plate for opening and closing said port, said port comprising a nipple extending laterally from the cover plate and a bore extending through the nipple and the cover plate and having a threaded socket to receive and threadably connect a tube neck to the cover plate, said valving means comprising a pan-shaped rotor located at the outer side of and axially journalled on the cover plate on an axis at one side of said nipple, said rotor having a bottom wall slidably engaged with the outer end of the nipple, said bottom Wall having an arcuate dispensing slot registrable at times with the nipple for dispensing paste from the dispenser, and means for turning the rotor from a starting position in which its bottom wall closes the outer end of the nipple and a finishing position in which said dispensing slot is registered with the nipple, and return spring means for rotating said rotor from a finishing position to its starting position and for resisting rotation of the rotor from its starting position to a finishing position, and releasable detent means on said cover plate for locking the rotor in its starting position.

5. A paste dispenser for a collapsible tube, comprising: a casing having an open end and surrounding walls, a cover plate removably engaged in said open end, said cover plate having a tube neck receiving discharge port extending therethrough, and valving means mounted on said cover plate for opening and closing said port, said port comprising a nipple extending laterally from the cover plate and a bore extending through the nipple and the cover plate and having a threaded socket to receive and threadably connect a tube neck to the cover plate, said valving means comprising a pan-shaped rotor located at the outer side of and axially journalled on the cover plate on an axis at one side of said nipple, said rotor having a bottom wall slidably engaged with the outer end of the nipple, said bottom wall having an arcuate dispensing slot registrable at times with the nipple for dispensing paste from the dispenser, and means for turning the rotor from a starting position in which its bottom wall closes the outer end of the nipple and a tinishing position in which said dispensing slot is registered with the nipple, and return spring means for rotating said rotor from a finishing position to its starting position and for resisting rotation of the rotor from its starting position to a finishing position, and releasable detent means on said cover plate for locking the rotor in its starting position, said rotor having a side wall provided with a circumferential detent slot which is a part of said detent means, said detent means further comprising a detent hook pivoted on the cover plate at one side of the rotor and engageable in the detent slot only in the starting position of the rotor, and actuating spring means urging said hook toward the rotor.

6. A paste dispenser for a collapsible tube, comprising: a casing having an open end and surrounding walls, a cover plate removably engaged in said open end, said cover plate having a tube neck receiving discharge port extending therethrough, and valving means mounted on said cover plate for opening and closing said port, said port comprising a nipple extending laterally from the cover plate and a bore extending through the nipple and the cover plate and having a threaded socket to receive and threadably connect a tube neck to the cover plate, said valving means comprising a pan-shaped rotor located at the outer side of and axially journalled on the cover plate on an axis at one side of said nipple, said rotor having a bottom wall slidably engaged with the outer end of the nipple, said bottom wall having an arcuate dispensing slot registrable at times with the nipple for dispensing paste from the dispenser, and means for turning the rotor from a starting position in which its bottom Wall closes the outer end of the nipple and a finishing position in which said dispensing slot is registered with the nipple, and return spring means for rotating said rotor from a finishing position to its starting position and for resisting rotation of the rotor from its starting position to a finishing position, and releasable detent means on said cover plate for locking the rotor in its starting position, said rotor having a side wall provided with a circumferential detent slot which is a part of said detent means, said detent means further comprising a detent hook pivoted on the cover plate at one side of the rotor and engageable in the detent slot only in the starting position of the rotor, and actuating spring means urging said hook toward the rotor, a rotor rotating shoe extending laterally from the rotor at the side thereof remote from said detent hook in the starting position of the rotor, said shoe having a surface and a lateral shoulder at one end of the surface, and said detent hook having a lateral wing thereon, in combination with a toothbrush having an elongated body having a forward end and bristles on the body extending toward the dispensing slot of the rotor, the forward end of the toothbrush body having a side laterally engaged with said shoe surface with its forward end against said shoulder, said body having an opposite side engaged with said detent hook wing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,523,066 Seifert Sept. 19, 1950 2,537,008 Abbott Jan. 9, 1 951 2,723,780 Clement Nov. 15, 1955 2,837,243 La Zebnik June 3, 1958 

6. A PASTE DISPENSER FOR A COLLAPSIBLE TUBE, COMPRISING: A CASING HAVING AN OPEN END AND SURROUNDING WALLS, A COVER PLATE REMOVABLY ENGAGED IN SAID OPEN END, SAID COVER PLATE HAVING A TUBE NECK RECEIVING DISCHARGE PORT EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, AND VALVING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID COVER PLATE FOR OPENING AND CLOSING SAID PORT, SAID PORT COMPRISING A NIPPLE EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM THE COVER PLATE AND A BORE EXTENDING THROUGH THE NIPPLE AND THE COVER PLATE AND HAVING A THREADED SOCKET TO RECEIVE AND THREADABLY CONNECT A TUBE NECK TO THE COVER PLATE, SAID VALVING MEANS COMPRISING A PAN-SHAPED ROTOR LOCATED AT THE OUTER SIDE OF AND AXIALLY JOURNALLED ON THE COVER PLATE ON AN AXIS AT ONE SIDE OF SAID NIPPLE, SAID ROTOR HAVING A BOTTOM WALL SLIDABLY ENGAGED WITH THE OUTER END OF THE NIPPLE, SAID BOTTOM WALL HAVING AN ARCUATE DISPENSING SLOT REGISTRABLE AT TIMES WITH THE NIPPLE FOR DISPENSING PASTE FROM THE DISPENSER, AND MEANS FOR TURNING THE ROTOR FROM A STARTING POSITION IN WHICH ITS BOTTOM WALL CLOSES THE OUTER END OF THE NIPPLE AND A FINISHING POSITION IN WHICH SAID DISPENSING SLOT IS REGISTERED WITH THE NIPPLE, AND RETURN SPRING MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ROTOR FROM A FINISHING POSITION TO ITS STARTING POSITION AND FOR RESISTING ROTATION OF THE ROTOR FROM ITS STARTING POSITION TO A FINISHING POSITION, AND RELEASABLE DETENT MEANS ON SAID COVER PLATE FOR LOCKING THE ROTOR IN ITS STARTING POSITION, SAID ROTOR HAVING A SIDE WALL PROVIDED WITH A CIRCUMFERENTIAL DETENT SLOT WHICH IS A PART OF SAID DETENT MEANS, SAID DETENT MEANS FURTHER COMPRISING A DETENT HOOK PIVOTED ON THE COVER PLATE AT ONE SIDE OF THE ROTOR AND ENGAGEABLE IN THE DETENT SLOT ONLY IN THE STARTING POSITION OF THE ROTOR, AND ACTUATING SPRING MEANS URGING SAID HOOK TOWARD THE ROTOR, A ROTOR ROTATING SHOE EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM THE ROTOR AT THE SIDE THEREOF REMOTE FROM SAID DETENT HOOK IN THE STARTING POSITION OF THE ROTOR, SAID SHOE HAVING A SURFACE AND A LATERAL SHOULDER AT ONE END OF THE SURFACE, AND SAID DETENT HOOK HAVING A LATERAL WING THEREON, IN COMBINATION WITH A TOOTHBRUSH HAVING AN ELONGATED BODY HAVING A FORWARD END AND BRISTLES ON THE BODY EXTENDING TOWARD THE DISPENSING SLOT OF THE ROTOR, THE FORWARD END OF THE TOOTHBRUSH BODY HAVING A SIDE LATERALLY ENGAGED WITH SAID SHOE SURFACE WITH ITS FORWARD END AGAINST SAID SHOULDER, SAID BODY HAVING AN OPPOSITE SIDE ENGAGED WITH SAID DETENT HOOK WING. 